Imagine That: Mixed-Stamp Mermaid Card

In The Studio

Have you ever started a project and realized you needed another element or two, but the stamps you have on hand are in a different style from your focal image? That’s what happened as I was working on my mermaid card for the Imagine blog.

I had the background (Joy Clair) and the mermaid (Santoro) stamped and ready to go, but she needed some supporting elements. I was concerned, at first, that the underwater elements from another set (Waffle Flower) would look too different since the outlines were thicker and, overall, less delicately rendered.

But I soldiered on, just the same, and it turned out not to be a problem. I think the fact that all my stamping was done in the same ink (VersaFine Clair, Warm Breeze) helped quite a bit to unify the different stamp styles. Also, I used the exact same colors on the seaweed, coral, and shells as I had on the mermaid (a mix of pastel Memento Markers), even though it meant some non-traditional colors and shading. The consistent color palette definitely helped blend the entire piece together and the result is a very fun card that I am more than a little pleased with!

Head over to the Imagine blog to see just how the card came together!

Imagine That: It’s a Three-Fer!

In The Studio

So this month the Imagine team gave us an interesting assignment: design a project to be sent to another Artist to complete and get someone else’s instructions in return.

I received instructions from Kyriakos on how to make an awesome necklace and earring set out of Sheet Metal ovals that had been embossed and inked with StazOn! You can see how I was able to follow his instructions on yesterday’s Imagine post!

The instructions for the card I created were sent to Kyriakos in kind, and his version of my card can be found on the Imagine blog today!

Direct Link for the feed readers: https://youtu.be/eKT2KmKD9BI

Of course I went ahead and made a video of my card, which you can see above, and I have the full supply list right here for you!

Imagine Supplies:

VersaFine Clair – Verdant, Charming Pink, Nocturne
Memento Luxe – Pistachio
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – New Sprout, Rose Bud
Memento Marker – Pear Tart
Creative Medium – Clear
Craft Mat
Palette Knives

Other Supplies:

Cardstock – White, Pink
Waffle Flower – Flower Circles Stamp Set
Cricle and Butterfly Stencils
Darice – Heat Tool
Acrylic Blocks

Imagine That: A Tale of Two Backgrounds

In The Studio

Y’all know I’m always up for happy accidents and long ago gave up the idea that things must turn out like I pictured in order to be acceptable. My next project for Imagine falls squarely in that category.

I started out with the idea of doing a marbled background and, well, maybe one of them is pretty close, but the other turned out more like a camo pattern and, hey, I don’t hate it.

In fact, it was a really cool example (I think) of not just happy accidents but how you can do the same things with the same materials and end up with two totally different results.

And I used both backgrounds to make very different cards–one with a more feminine slant and the other more masculine. And I love when I come across techniques that are this versatile.

So head over to the Imagine blog and check out how I came up with these two backgrounds at once and see if it doesn’t spark some happy accidents of your own!

Imagine That: Coffee Filter Wedding Flowers

In The Studio

This month Imagine is highlighting weddings on their blog and, hey, if there’s one thing I know about weddings it’s all the different ways you can hand craft them.

I keep my DIY bouquet on display in my office and it still makes me smile to look at it!

Long-time readers know that I spent the two years leading up to my wedding with Todd making all the decorations for the ceremony and reception plus the invitations, favors, etc.

While my own bouquet was a mixture of papers, wood, knitting, and beading, I stuck to one main medium for this project: coffee filters.

They are both versatile and malleable (and let’s not forget inexpensive!) and there are a number of ways to make them into wonderful floral stand-ins with a bit of Fireworks! Spray, floral tape, and wire.

Make sure to check out the post for information on making four different types of flowers, plus greenery, and even a quick take on turning them into a small bouquet and boutonniere!

Imagine That: Who Can Resist VersaFine Clair? Delicata Can!

In The Studio

When I was first playing with the new VersaFine Clair inks I made the accidental discovery that they interacted with Delicata inks in a very interesting way!

When the Delicata is stamped first and the VersaFine Clair is stamped on top, the Delicata acts as a natural resist! Yes, I’m using exclamation points because this was really cool to see happen and it was something I had a blast showing off at Creativation last month!

What can you do with this technique? I think it’s a great way to add an all-over pattern to your project without having to resort to complex stamping. When you use a faint shade of Delicata (Champagne is my favorite) the patterns showing through the overlaid image are little surprises which I think are really cool.

You can see exactly how this works over on the Imagine Blog!